building we’re visiting is the assayer’s office. Prospectors would bring their silver ore here to be graded through a process called titration. Gold and garnets were also mined in the area, but not so much when this town was at its zenith. Garretsville’s one bank is conveniently situated right next door, and it’s the only building to have been constructed with native stone rather than pine. You can read more about the role of assayers in your packets.”
They stopped at a few residential cabins, the general store, the church, and a one-room schoolhouse. After the ranger completed the orientation, he took off. The Schultes went on a hike, and Oliver volunteered to walk through the tour one more time on his own, locking up each of the sites as he went. Meredith headed back to the cabin to unpack.
Her small bedroom held two twin beds, a worn-out braided rug, two mismatched dressers, and a narrow closet with a curtain instead of a door. She hoisted her duffel bag onto the bed closest to the only window and began to unpack.
Just as she placed a pile of folded clothing into one of the dressers, the temperature in the room dropped, and she got a nasty, prickly feeling all over. Meredith straightened. “This is my private space. As long as I’m here, I expect my room to remain free of hauntings,” she said, her tone firm.
Jeering laughter from more than one spirit echoed inside her head. Dread slithered down her spine, and her stomach turned. These ghosts were not the innocuous kind. She detected the presence of three malevolent entities. “You are unwelcome here,” she said, a surge of adrenaline pounding out a warning.
“You are … familiar to us. We ... don’t want … you here.” The words hissed through her mind, followed by an oppressive wave of rage.
What did they mean by familiar? Adrenaline surged again as icy fingers brushed against her exposed skin. Meredith recoiled, and her heart clawed its way up her throat.
Feigning calm, she returned to her duffel bag and took out one of the bundles of sage, a lighter, and an ashtray made from half an abalone shell. She lit the sage and smudged all around the room. Why sage repelled ghosts she had no idea, but the herb never failed to send the dead on their way.
Soon the temperature returned to normal, and the feeling of dread receded. She stubbed the sage into the abalone to snuff the burning ends and placed the shell on top of a dresser. Meredith returned to her duffel for the wooden box of protective crystals she always carried with her. She should’ve set up the perimeter of protection first thing, but she’d had no reason to suspect Garretsville harbored dangerous spirits.
She placed the smoky quartz on one of the dressers. Smoky quartz would lend her both strength and protection from evil directed at her. The large chunk of uncut peridot she slid under the pillow on the twin bed where she’d sleep—that crystal repelled otherworldly beings of all kinds.
The amethyst and jet she set on the other dresser. The two stones placed together amplified the presence of approaching spirits—kind of like the way a video security system warned of approaching intruders.
The three ghosts who had invaded her space were a game changer. Confused or traumatized spirits were easy to help. Evil spirits were another matter altogether, and it was never wise to attempt dislodging those types on her own. A lone ghost whisperer ran the risk of being possessed by spirits intending to do harm. Three of them working together posed a threat she didn’t want to face. She needed to call home for help or at least advice.
“Is that pot I smell?” John called as he knocked on her door.
Meredith grabbed the abalone shell holding the sage and hurried to open her door. “No, it’s sage,” she said, holding out the shell for his inspection. “I burn it to—”
“To cleanse an area of negativity and send ghosts packing.” He nodded and smiled. He glanced around her room, taking note of the stones she’d placed in various spots. “My mistake. Sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
“No lie, Garretsville is haunted. The wife and I have a bag of moonrise crystals with us. You might know it as shungite. We’ve found moonrise crystals far superior to jet, onyx, or obsidian for keeping unwanted phantoms away. Would you like a few to add to your collection?”
“Umm … sure.” Another surprising development to ponder.